A survivor of the devastating fire tragedy at Utumishi Girls Academy, which claimed the lives of 16 students, has painfully recounted the horrifying moments that turned an ordinary night into a nightmare.
The young student, who escaped death with a broken arm and leg, described scenes of panic, confusion, and desperation as flames rapidly engulfed the dormitory while terrified girls fought to save their lives.
According to the survivor, the tragedy unfolded after students retired to bed following a normal Saturday-style programme observed during the Muslim holiday.
“Yesterday was a Muslim holiday and, according to our school culture, we normally follow a Saturday programme. We usually go to bed at 9pm. By the time everybody freshened up and settled in, it was around midnight when we finally slept,” she recalled emotionally.
Moments later, chaos erupted.
“Someone suddenly shouted, ‘Wake up! The dorm is on fire!’ Everybody was confused because nobody knew what to do.”
She explained that within seconds, the flames had already spread across the main passage leading to the exit, trapping students inside the burning dormitory.
But what turned the fire into a deadly catastrophe was a shocking blunder — the dormitory door had allegedly been locked from the inside.
“By the time I tried leaving the cubicle, the fire had already covered the pathway we were supposed to use to vacate the dormitory,” she said. “We had no alternative but to return because the dormitory was locked from the inside.”
As thick smoke quickly filled the rooms, many students struggled to breathe. Panic intensified as the trapped girls realised there was no safe escape route through the door.
With the flames closing in and suffocating smoke taking over the dormitory, the girls were left with one desperate option — jumping through the windows from the first floor.
“We opened the window and jumped,” the survivor said. “When I landed, I could not feel my feet or my right hand. I passed out immediately.”
She later regained consciousness in hospital, where doctors informed her that she had suffered multiple fractures from the impact of the fall.
“It turns out I suffered broken bones. I am in so much pain right now,” she said tearfully. “Psychologically, mentally, and physically, I cannot say I am okay because I am traumatised by what happened. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. Being so young and experiencing this is very depressing.”
The tragedy has raised painful questions about safety measures at the school, particularly the alleged decision to lock the dormitory from the inside — a move survivors believe trapped students in a burning building and contributed to the massive loss of life.
As families mourn their daughters and survivors battle trauma and injuries, Kenyans are demanding answers over how a dormitory full of students could become a d
eath trap during an emergency.
